By Tony Beshara, Ph.D.

The competition for decent jobs today is tough, especially for women. To gain an edge, you need to arm yourself with inside information about what interviewers want to hear and a clear understanding on how to deliver “powerful phrases” that will help you land the job.

How many times have you kicked yourself for saying the wrong thing in an interview or stumbling because you weren’t sure what the interviewer wanted to hear?

Saying the right words in the right way can turn an interview around in your favor. Let’s face it — most hiring decisions are gut-level evaluations made in the first few minutes of an interview. One McGill University study showed that most interviewers make up their minds to hire someone in the first four minutes of the interview. Like everything else in life, first impressions are important. What you say can and will impact whether or not you land a job.

Therefore, you need to arm yourself with key phrases that trigger “yes” in the minds of employers — and understand exactly what you should not say during an interview. Keep in mind that learning these “power phrases” will serve you before, during and after the interview by helping you:

• Get your foot in the door
• Clearly communicate your skills, strengths, and experience
• Make a great impression at the crucial opening and close
• Score high on the likability factor
• Dispel any concerns about your work history
• Add impact to follow-up communications
• Negotiate a strong job offer

Five Power Phrases:
1. “I am an excellent candidate for your job because…”
2. “I’ve been successful in every phase of my career, and here is where I can demonstrate it…(give one or two examples of past job-related successes)”
3. “Based on our interview and my experience, how do I stack up with what you’re looking for?”
4. “Do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job – or questions or clarification about my background?”
5. “What do I need to do to get the job?”

Five Phrases to Avoid:
1. “I’m not sure of …(why I took that job/ why I left that job/what I want to do with my life, etc.)”
2. “My previous boss was… (a real piece of work/pain in the neck/incompetent moron, etc.)”
3. “Before we begin our interview, let me ask…(how much this job pays/ what are the hours/ vacation time/ benefits, etc.)”
4. “The reason I’ve had three jobs in the past three years is because…(those companies didn’t know what they were doing/I got bored/I couldn’t stand my co-workers, etc.)”
5. “I quit my job six months ago because…(I needed a break/had a melt-down/wanted some ‘me’ time, etc.)”

Keep in mind that you never want to discuss other job offers or companies you are looking at. The interviewer wants to know that this is the job you want above all others. Demonstrate that you are the right choice with passion, enthusiasm and single-mindedness.

Candidates are hired because of a few little things they do or say, and the rest is emotional justification. Most business decisions are made subliminally, with more emotion than logic. While most job candidates think they have to appear “competent” in the interviewing process, the successful ones focus on being liked and remembered, using powerful words and phrases to accomplish this.

 

Tony Beshara is the creator of The Job Search Solution, has been a professional recruiter since 1973 and has personally found more than 9,200 individuals jobs.